The United States (U.S.) government is committed to deepening bilateral security cooperation with ECOWAS.
Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Ekman, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), West Africa Coordination Element Lead, Department of Defence, stated this during a media roundtable in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable was for Gen. Ekman to explain the purpose of his visit to Nigeria and the outcome of his engagements with government officials.
He stressed that the U.S. shares the bloc’s concerns about spiraling violent extremism and democratic governance decline in the sub-region.
“With regards to how ECOWAS proceeds, as they proceed, the U.S. military and broader, the U.S. government, do share the concerns that they have expressed.
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“That is, with regards to the decline in democratic governance that is playing out particularly in the Sahel, which ultimately comes down to ECOWAS.
“Where we can help ECOWAS, however they choose to proceed, is bilateral security cooperation with ECOWAS members, so that’s our approach,” he said.
The U.S. Air Force General explained that countering terrorists militarily was tantamount to merely addressing the symptom of a problem.
According to him, the best approach is to identify and deal with the underlying causes and the foundational reasons that cause terrorism to exist and perpetuate.